RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia gas prices are climbing toward a record high, straining everyday drivers and the trucking industry this Memorial Day weekend.
The state average for gas jumped 6 cents overnight to $4.43 a gallon, according to AAA — just 40 cents shy of the state record of $4.86 a gallon, set in June 2022.
Industry experts say the ongoing war in Iran, combined with seasonal increases driven by summer travel demand, is mostly to blame for the price hike.
Curtis Smith said the anxiety he feels at the gas pump is just as high as the fuel prices.
"Who would have ever thought that we'd see a day where someone would spend $100 just to fill up for a week? It's insane," Smith said.
Smith said he's staying close to home this Memorial Day weekend with gas averaging more than $4.40 a gallon in Virginia.
No one is feeling the pressure more than truck drivers, according to Dale Bennett, president of the Virginia Trucking Association.
"Diesel today is over $5.50 a gallon and it's putting a lot of pressure on the industry," Bennett said. "Fuel is their second largest expense."
Bennett said rising fuel costs won't just make trips to the gas station more expensive over Memorial Day weekend — they'll also drive up the price of goods on store shelves after the holiday.
"We just can't absorb those costs and continue to operate, so we have to do what we can to pass those on," he said. "It's mostly in the form of fuel surcharges that we pass to the shippers and, in turn, shippers have to increase the costs of their goods to cover that increase to them and then that trickles down to the consumer."
Bennett said he's hoping for federal solutions for the sake of truckers and consumers alike.
"We are hoping for and encouraging a quick resolution to these international conflicts that have caused these fuel prices to go up at home," Bennett said.
Some drivers are already adjusting their habits to cope with the sticker shock at the pump.
"Don't let it get below half," driver Jeffrey Crosier said about his gas tank. "That way it's a lot easier to stomach financially."
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